Rail-joint.



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RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-24,1916.

Patented Mar. 28,1916.

awuemtoz J05 EFH STOW ELL.

Cation/nut JOSEPH W. STOW-ELL, OF TAMARACK, MINNESGTA.

RAILJQINT.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28,1916.

Application filed January 24, 1916. Serial no. 73,929.

To all whom it may concern Be it known'that I, JOSEPH W. STowELL,acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Tamarack, in the county ofAitkin and State 0 of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawm s.

Thisinvention relates 'to rail joints, and particularly to that type ofrail joint wherein'the' abuttin'g-ends'of adjacent rails are designed tooverlap and interlock with each other.

The general object of my invention is to provide a rail j oint ofthischaracter, so constructed-that the rails have interlocking engagement*at their abutting ends whereby both ofjthe rails will be depressedequally under. load.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction of thischaracter wherein the rails are detachably interlocked with each othersothatthey will have unitary longitudinal or lateral movement, and astill further'obje'ct'isto provide a rail joint which does away with thenecessity of using fish plates and bolts passing through the webs of"the rails.

My inventionisillustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figural isa side elevation of theabutting ends of two rails showing thejoint constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is aperspective detail view of the end of the rail A;.Fig. '3 is like viewof the end of the rail B; Fig. 4 is an under side view of the extremityof the rails A and B ,Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view or the locking40 member 21; Fig. 6isa top plan view thereof;

and Fig.7 is an end View thereof.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that the abutting adjacentends of therails A and B are transversely thickened and that the rail Ais cut away to provide a portion 11 and the rail B is cut away toprovide-a portion 10 which overlap each other so that the portion 10 ofthe rail B will rest upon the portion 11 of the'rail A. The rail B isformed at the extremity ofthe portion 10 with the square tenon 12 whichis adapted to be inserted in a square socket 13 or mortise formed in theend of the rail A above the portion 11. On the other end the rail A atthe extremity of the portion 11 is formed with a tenon 14c narrower inwidth than the portion 10 but having the same height, which is adaptedto be received within a socket 15 formed in the end of the rail B belowthe portion 10, this socket extending inward and opening at its bottomupon the base of the rail. The side walls 16 of this socket 15 aretransversely recessed'as at 17 This recess 17 extends transverselythrough the rail and the'tenon 1 1 is formed on its under face with atransversely extending groove or recessl8, which, when the rails areconjoined, registers with the recess 17.

For the purpose of locking the rails in engagement with each other andpreventing any longitudinal movement of one rail relative to the other,I provide the locking plate 20 having thereon the upwardly extending rib21 which is preferably wedge-shaped. This plate 20 is adapted to be heldupon a tie by spikes or bolts 22. This plate 20 may either be sunk intothe tie or may constitute a wear plate, the other ties supporting therail being also provided with wear plates 23 so that the rails may besupported at a proper distance above the tie. If the plate 20 is sunkintojthe tie it is obvious that the rails will rest directly upon thetie.

It will be seen that with this construction the tails are interlockedfrom any independent, vertical or lateral movement because ofthe factthat each rail is provided with a tenon which enters a mortise or recessin the other rail and that one rail overlaps the other rail. Preferablythe recesses 17 and 18 are made slightly dove-tailed in cross sectionand the rib 21 has the .form of a dove-tailed wedge so that when thisrib is inserted into the recess 17 it willnot only lock the rails fromlongitudinahmoveme'nt with relation to each other butit willtalso act tohold the rails down. 'Of course the usual spikes may be used upon thebase flanges of the rails, but the spikes are not necessary at the jointitself inasmuch as the holding down of the rails is accomplished by theplate 20 and the rib 21. It will be noted also that not only does theextremity of the portion 10 on rail B engage against the end of the wallof the socket 13, but the ends of walls 16 abut against the shoulders 19formed on each side of the tenon 14:.

It will be seen that the rails joined as described cannot possibly getout of alinement, cannot independently rise or fall, and must haveunitary movement. It will further be seen that this joint is firmlyconnected to the tie but may be readily detached therefrom. Havingdescribed my invention, what I claim is: 1. In a rail joint, a railhaving a longitudinally extending portion less in height than the rail,the rail rearward of said portion being formed with a longitudinallyextending socket, said longitudinally extending portion being formed atits extremity with a tenon having a transverse groove in its under face,an abutting rail having a longitudinally extending portion adapted tooverlap the like portion on the first-named rail and formed with a tenonadapted to engage in the socket thereof, the second-named rail having asocket formed in its base to receive the tenon on the first-named rail,the walls of said socket and the base of the rail being formed with atransversely extending recess adapted to register with the recess in thetenon of the other rail, and a locking member adapted to be disposedupon a tie and having a transversely extending rib engaging in saidrecesses of the socket and tenon and holding the rails locked together.

2. In a rail joint, a rail having a longitudinally extending portionless in height than the rail, the rail rearward of said portion beingformed with a longitudinally extending socket, said longitudinallyextending portion being formed at its extremity with a tenon having atransverse groove in its under face, an abutting rail having alongitudinally extending portion adapted to overlap the like portion onthe firstnamed rail and formed with a tenon adapted to engage in thesocket thereof, the second-named rail having a socket formed in its baseto receive the tenon on the firstnamed rail, the Walls of said socketand the base of the rail being formed with a transversely extendingrecess adapted to register with the recess in the tenon of the otherrail, anda locking plate adapted to be supported upon a tie and having atransversely extending wedge-shaped rib on its face adapted to engage insaid recesses and lock the rails together.

3, In a rail joint, a rail having a longitudinally extending portionless in height 7 longitudinally extending portion adapted 'to overlapthe like portion on the first named rail and formed with a tenon adaptedto engage in the socket thereof, the second-na1ned rail having asocketformed. in its base to receive the tenon on the firstnamed rail, thewalls of said socket and the base of the rail being formed with a trans-V versely extending recess adapted to, register with the recess in thetenon of the other rail, and a lockingvplate adapted to be supportedupon a tie and having a dove-tailed cross section, the recessesbeingalso of dovetailed form, the rib engaging said recesses lockingthey-rails together and acting to lock the rails to thelocking plate.

4. The combination withla rail having a dove-tailed recess extendingtransversely across the under face of its base, of a plate adapted to beengaged with a tie and having a dove-tailed rib upon its upper faceinterlockingwith said recess to thereby lock the rail to the tie, theplate constituting thesole means whereby the rail is held to the tie. a5. The combination with a rail, of a plate upon which the rail isadapted to be supported, said plate being adapted to be en g'aged with atie, the plate and rail having one a dove-tailed rib extendingtransversely across it and the other a dove-tailed recess into which therib engages and interlocks to thereby lock the rail to the plate, thedove-tailed rib and recess tapering longi tudinally.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOSEPH W. STOWELL.

Witnesses:

MALrnnD ARNESON, KRISTIAN ARNESON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner or Patents,

Washington, D. C. i V

